Charles VI of France

Charles VI "the Mad" of France (3 December 1368-21 October 1422) was King of France from 16 September 1380 to 21 October 1422, succeeding Charles V and preceding Charles VII. For much of his reign, he was under the influence of regents from the nobility; first because of his minority, and, later, because of his insanity. He signed the 1420 Treaty of Troyes with England, promising the throne to Henry V of England and his heirs upon his death, but his son Charles VII would claim the throne after Charles and Henry's deaths in 1422.

Biography
Charles was born in Paris, France in 1368, the son of King Charles V of France and Joan of Bourbon. He was only eleven years old when he inherited the throne in the midst of the Hundred Years' War, and the government was entrusted to his uncles Philip the Bold of Burgundy, John, Duke of Berry, Louis I of Anjou, and Louis II of Bourbon. The dukes maintained their grip on Charles until he turned 21, and the financial resources of the kingdom were squandered for their personal profit. The raising of new taxes led to revolts, and Charles VI dismissed his uncles in 1388, improving conditions in the kingdom. However, in August 1392, Charles went mad and slew four knights in the forest of Le Mans in Brittany, nearly killing his brother Louis I of Orleans in the process. From then on, Charles' bouts of insanity became more frequent and long, and political power was once more devolved to the nobility. Louis of Orleans and John the Fearless of Burgundy fought over the regency, and John's murder of Louis in 1407 led to a civil war breaking out between the pro-Valois Armagnac party and the Burgundian party. In 1419, John the Fearless was assassinated, and his son Philip the Good led Charles to sign the 1420 Treaty of Troyes with England, disinheriting his offspring and recognizing King Henry V of England as his heir. The two of them died within months of each other in 1422, and Charles' son proclaimed himself "Charles VII of France", breaching the treaty and going to war with England.